First Kiss
by Jenny Redpiper
Summary: Anders and F/Hawke. Story starts right after that first kiss in Ander's clinic.This is my first attempt at fan fiction, Finished DA2 and wasn't willing to give up the world of Anders/Hawke yet,so decided to write. update..will be adding more chapters soon
1. Chapter 1

"Andraste's knicker weasels, what have I done?" his mind screamed at him. He could feel the opinions of Justice as well and they were not so much different from his own at the moment. "I shouldn't have kissed her, shouldn't have promised to come to her tonight, but the wall of my resolve disintegrated when I heard those words from her, "I don't want you to resist", and maker help me, the look in her eyes. I can't fight this any longer.

Kneeling by a puddle of water that had collected on the dirt floor, he peered into it trying to see his reflection. "Stupid, stupid!" he thought as he rose, running his fingers through his hair and tentatively sniffing under one arm and then the other. "Stupid" he groaned again looking down at his travel stained robes and then further down to his worn boots. He sniffed again and lifting up one booted foot and then the other he realized that the local stray dog must have left a present in the middle of the street again and that he had stepped right on it without even noticing. "Just great" he moaned, "If I am to go to Hawke tonight, it can't be like this

This time his feelings were much more than just the usual "meet me in the dark later tonight" kind of romance and for once he felt completely out of his depth, so after many starts and stops and back and forth's he finally decided to ask Varric's advice on how one gussies up for a woman, since the dwarf seemed quite the Casanova with the ladies. Anders had originally thought to go the Blooming Rose to get a bath, as he knew they did offer that service, but they usually tried to include this feature with a more intimate package deal, one that he was not willing to agree to. He had treated too many of the Rose's patrons at the clinic to know that sometimes one got more than their money's worth there and not always in a good way. Besides, he wanted no one's company but Hawke's, every other girl paled in comparison to her, so in the end he made due with a barrel full of rainwater in the alley behind the Hanged Man.

It was Varric who suggested the rain barrel. "Fish out the dead rats and try not to think about what might have already sunk to the bottom and you should be fine" he said with a laugh in his voice. He had seen the signs in Anders long before the mage would even admit to his feelings for Hawke, and Varric would slyly tease him about it every chance he got. And now, it was just too delicious that Anders was here, as nervous as a boy before his first kiss, and to have him asking for advice as well. The dwarf could hardly stop the gleeful smile from taking over his entire face. "You're a lucky man Blondie, I don't know what Hawke sees in you sometimes, you tend to whine a little too much for my taste and you're nowhere near as handsome as me." the dwarf slung at him as the mage retreated out of the back door to undertake his meager ablutions. After awhile Anders came back in, squishing a bit in the boots, but at least looking clean and somewhat presentable. "Thanks for the advice Varric, I owe you a tankard of ale the next time I come by." "No problem, just don't break her heart if you know what's good for you " replied the dwarf, shooting a warning look at Anders as he walked out the door and into the night.

It seemed a long, long walk in the darkness up to Hightown. So many times he thought about turning around, pretending all this had never happened. He wasn't sure if it was him or Justice or a bit of both thinking these thoughts but after a while the feelings passed and although still nervous, he was now resolute in his desire to be with her tonight. After that, he found his way quickly to her house and only paused once outside the great door when his mind, in a panic started wondering whether her door would even be open to him tonight. Maybe she had come to her senses at last and by locking her door she would lock him out of her heart as well. "Well there's only one way to find out and that's not going to happen standing on her doorstep" he muttered to himself as he opened the ornate front door and walked in.

It was dark and very quiet inside, somewhere off in the distance he could hear Sandal playing with Hawke's Mabari hound, but here at the foot of the steps to her room everything was still and silent. He swallowed down his nervousness and quietly climbed the stairs until he came to the point where he could see her doorway. With relief and a little trepidation he saw that the door was indeed open, but he still could not see where Hawke was in the room. He went forward a few more steps until he was almost directly beneath the doorway and then he saw her. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, so strong, so beautiful, the edges around her blurring as if this might all be a dream. He took another tentative step into the room and Hawke, stirred out of her vigil of waiting and wondering, looked up and realized that he had come, that he had kept his promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Hawke had been sitting on the bed lost in thought when she saw Anders come up the stairs and into her room. It looked as though he had taken some pains to get cleaned up, his robes had been dusted down and his blonde hair looked a bit damp. She stood up and nervously adjusted her silk dress. She missed the secure feeling of her armor, she felt almost naked dressed like this, but if the mesmerized look on Anders face was any indication the dress had been a good choice for tonight.

"Trust me" Isabella had told her. She was more of a mind to agree with Aveline's choice of a deep blue green dress that matched Hawke's eyes, but Isabella was adamant that the fitted crimson dress, purchased on a whim with other more practicable clothes then promptly shoved to the bottom of the clothes chest forgotten, was the perfect choice for tonight. She couldn't believe Isabella finally talked her into wearing it, that girl didn't own anything in her wardrobe that wasn't on the suggestive side. At least she won the argument about her footwear and had won the right to wear her boots instead of those silly shoes with the heels on them. She was used to boots, although these were of soft kid leather instead of the more durably made work a day boots she usually wore. "He will melt into a puddle on the floor when he sees you in this dress" Isabelle told her with a saucy wink as she and Aveline left.

Although Anders was not quite in a puddle on the floor stage yet, the look on his face very clearly told her that this time Isabella had been right. "You're here, I wasn't sure you would come" Hawke said as she watched him move across the room. "Justice does not approve of my obsession with you, he believes you are a distraction" Anders replied. As he stopped by the fireplace, Hawke saw that the flames exposed hints of red in his blonde hair that she had never noticed before tonight. "It is one of the few things on which he and I disagree" he continued with a sad, shy smile. They stood across from one another, each unsure as to what the other would do next. Finally she blurted out "If you hadn't come, I'd be out looking for you." For a moment Ander's expression changed to one of remembered sadness. "When I was in the circle, love was only a game" he said as he moved closer to her. "It gave the templars too much power if there was something you couldn't stand to lose." He half turned away then and said in an anguished voice filled with pain and honesty "It would kill me to lose you." That tore at her heart more than anything, hearing the fear and suffering in his voice. "You're not going to lose me" she said as she closed the distance between them intent on comforting him, on reassuring him in his fears. He heard the rustle of silk as she moved and half looked up at her as if almost shy to say what was in his mind next. "No mage I know has ever dared to fall in love" He brought his hand up to her cheek, and was shocked to discover that her skin was so very soft. He had seen her so many times in battle with blood and gore covering that same soft skin he now caressed. He could feel the mana flow from his hand to her face where he cupped it, healing the little scrapes and cuts she had received from the last battle they had fought together. "It is the rule I will most cherish breaking" he murmured as he brought his lips to hers and kissed her.


	3. Chapter 3

This time he lingered in the kiss, having much more privacy than the first time in his darktown clinic. Even though Hawke was no mage, Anders could feel a slight response to the ever present magic that surged beneath his skin. "She must come from a powerful line of mages , to not be born a full mage but still have this faint spark hidden deeply within her" he thought with shocked surprise. As he pressed her up against him, he could feel the curves that had always been hidden beneath her armor.

Maker help him, he had been imagining this moment with Hawke for three years now, three long years of nights laying on his cot in the clinic listening to the rats skitter around in the darkness and thinking of her. It was almost as if he had two spirits in him at those times, the one of Justice and a wraith of the Hawke that he was too scared, too stubborn to make into the flesh and blood woman that stood before him now. He groaned as he started feeling the strong emotion of lust coursing through him and as a result he also felt Justice stir restlessly inside him. "She is no threat" he warned the spirit. Anders had not been with a woman since he realized he was falling in love with Hawke, and if he was brutally honest with himself, he would admit that he had fallen for her from the beginning. Only his strong will of not wanting to hurt her, not wanting to have her involved in this insidious plot that had been brewing in his head as of late, had stopped him from confessing his feelings for her long before this night.

Hawke, sensing this new urgency in him, started to pull him towards the massive bed that dominated the chamber. The bed was freshly made with new linens that smelled faintly of lavender and Anders realized with a start how long it had been since he had slept on something more than the ground or a cot and never in a bed as luxurious as this. Sleep could wait until later though, he chided himself, as he transferred his thoughts back to Hawke and the fact that she was unbuckling his belt and releasing it to the ground. He groaned again, the sound coming from deep within him, as she pulled him down onto the bed. "I am almost at the end of my control" he warned as he caressed her every curve. "Anders, my love you say that as if it is a bad thing" she teased him.

The sound of his name on her lips almost did send him over the edge then, he felt like he was drowning, not fighting to take a breath though, but instead wanting to breathe in as much of her as he possibly could, to fill his lungs to bursting with the heady mixture of her. "I want to know everything about you" she breathed as his hand strayed lower, the feeling of the silk fabric of her dress pressing against her skin from the pressure of his hand running down the length of her sending a shuddering kaleidoscope of sensation through her. "Are you sure this is what you want?" his normally soft voice now lower and heavy with passion growled into her ear as he kissed her neck. "I am an apostate and worse will eventually be branded a malificar for my involvement with Justice; it will not be an easy journey if you choose this path" "I have never been more sure of anything in my life, "she responded, as she slowly started undressing him.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe he's here" she thought as she ran her hands over his bare chest. She had never seen him undressed before, even after all the days of slogging through endless miles on the road and then in makeshift camps at night. He was slim underneath his robes, but still well built, although the mother hen in her decided that he was a bit on the thin side, and under her care maybe he would fill out a little. She knew he always put the needs of his patients before his own and many nights he probably only ate what the hanged man could offer for a meal, if one could call it that, chances were a person would be more likely to get a case of food poisoning there rather than a nourishing repast. At the very least it was never a good idea to inquire about what kind of meat was being served that night as it usually was a mix of anything and everything that had been found dead under the floorboards that morning. "He deserves better than that" she thought as she continued her study of him.

He was so very beautiful, she could get lost for hours staring into those gentle caramel brown eyes. "You are getting ahead in this race" Anders suddenly said with a laugh. "Here you have me nearly out of my small clothes and you have yet to be completely undressed, we shall have to remedy that and quickly" he teased with a mischievous smile on his lips. He set about removing her from her remaining clothes with abandon and soon she was naked before him. The look of tenderness in his eyes as he looked at her told her that this would be no one night stand. She had never been with anyone before, back in Ferelden she was more intent on Bethany's safety to be interested in the local boys, and then when they had to flee to Kirkwall, it seemed like she had lived in her armor almost constantly and never had the time to think about anything beyond surviving day to day, until her search for the deep road maps had led her to an apostate grey warden in darktown, and she had set eyes on Anders for the first time.

She was no child, she had listened to Isabella's tales of conquest many times before and she knew what to expect, but a small part of her was still nervous. Anders positioned himself above her, the trevinter chantry amulet she had given him, a lifetime ago it seemed now, swinging down and away from his neck to hang in the space between them. She felt the pain of him entering her, but it lasted only a moment as the blue aura of his healing surrounded her. "I love you" he whispered as his gentle strokes grew more demanding and then they were both borne away on a flood of emotions as he found his release in her. Everything for a moment was so bright, every emotion enhanced beyond anything she had ever experienced, his energy transferring from him to her and then back again engulfing them both in a blinding blue light. To her chagrin she found herself starting to cry. "I'm sorry; I should have prepared you for what it would be like to make love to a mage. "Now you know one of the many reasons mages should be freed from the watchful eye of the templars, to live a whole lifetime within the circle and never experience this would be worse than a slow death" he said to her as he tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. "I love you, know that whatever we encounter down this long dark road together, I will always love you" he whispered to her in the darkness as she fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

If someone would ask him years later, he would say that he woke up with the grin already on his face. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that she was beside him; his heart told him that she was.

This was the first time in years that he had actually felt safe enough to fall completely asleep, usually he only managed a half sleep where he would awaken at any noise, any movement in the darkness. Too many years of being on the run, being only two steps ahead of the templars or fitfully sleeping in a makeshift camp on the open road waiting for someone to try to knife him in the back had trained his mind to know that a dead sleep could be..well…deadly. These last few years it had been desperate patients urgently banging on the clinic doors in the middle of the night that had kept him from his slumber. Although not usually a risk to his safety he would always awaken then too, and heal them of their injuries. Now he lay in the cocoon like warmth of the bed, not opening his eyes yet to the new day, but instead taking the time to savor the moment of being here, of being with her. He could see her in his mind's eye; the thousands of times he had gazed upon her had burned a permanent image of her in his head. The dark hair that was cut to shoulder length so it would not hinder her while she fought in battle, the eyes that were a unique mix of blue and green that reminded him of the color of the sea between the shallow and deep waters. Her smile, her laugh, all these things he could recollect without even trying. These were the memories, the images that had sustained him through the years of loving her but not trusting himself to be close to her. He opened his eyes then to see the exact features he had just pictured in his mind laying directly across from him in the bed. The grin got wider, if that was possible. "Good morning sweetheart" he murmured, loving the way she returned his smile as he said it. "I hope you slept well". She stretched and sighed in contentment "I slept wonderfully" she replied, her own smile now eclipsing her whole face. He pulled her closer to him, fitting her against his body, ready to replay the passion of the previous night when they faintly heard through the closed door the sound of movement in the hall followed by excited barking and a voice exclaiming "Good doggie, I like enchantment!" They both erupted into a fit of laughter at that, only stopping when their sides ached and they were both close to tears. As their laughter faded, Anders grew more serious.

"I meant what I said last night, I love you" he said with a ghost of his previous smile on his lips. "You should have a chance at a normal life" he continued, his eyes filling with a mixture of love and sadness. "But maker help us both, I can't live without you"

With absolute certainty in her voice, Hawke replied "I love you Anders, where ever your path takes you I want you right here beside me until the day we both die" He took her in his arms and kissed her then, at that moment almost daring to hope that they would both have the strength to stay together through these dark times.


	6. Chapter 6

They didn't venture out of the house until much later that same day, and after much consideration decided that they would take a stroll down to the Hanged Man. They walked hand in hand in the sweet and heavy summer night down into Lowtown, both of them smiling and giddy from the long day full of love that they had shared together, the moment creating a perfect memory in each of their minds.

They were hoping for a quiet drink together before retiring back to her house for the night, but all thoughts of that were crushed as a familiar voice called out to them as they walked through the open door of the tavern "Well if it isn't the lovebirds come to grace us with their company!" They should have known Varric would be there as the dwarf had found out long ago that drunks were a wildly appreciative audience for his particular brand of grandiose and embellished stories. "So" he continued as they walked up to his table where he was presiding like a king at court. "How did the marathon game of _find the mages_ _staff_ go?" he asked with mock sincerity. Anders blushed like a girl at that comment while Hawke just rolled her eyes at the dwarf; honestly he was enjoying Anders reaction more. Varric had always to loved to tease Anders whenever he had the opportunity and he was not about to pass up this golden opportunity now that it had fallen in his lap. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I guess wrong? Did you play the old favorite of _oh no the terrible horrible templars are coming and I must find a safe_ _place to hide my staff_ instead?" Varric had a dozen of these horrible double entendre mage jokes and if he had his way he would end up using all of them by the end of the evening.

If it was possible Anders blush deepened as he growled at Varric "What I wouldn't give for a spell that would clamp that mouth of yours shut for more than five minutes!" Varric laughed as Anders rose to the bait. "Well there's the blondie I recognize, always running around with that little black storm cloud over your head. I thought you had been overpowered by this new Anders that smiles and laughs and makes cow eyes at Hawke whenever she walks into the room, I was getting worried there for a minute." Anders shot a murderous look at Varric "I'm going to get the drinks, I'll be back in a minute" he said to Hawke as he stomped off in the direction of the bar.

Varric pulled out a chair and motioned to Hawke "Sit down Buttercup, you look completely worn out" he waited until Anders was safely busy at the bar before continuing "You know deep down that mage of yours is a good guy. I'm happy for the two of you. But, I'll warn you now, if he ever breaks your heart Bianca and I will be coming to straighten him out!" "Thank you, Varric" Hawke responded "I appreciate you looking out for me." Anders came back from the bar then carrying three huge tankards of ale. "Drink up Varric. I did promise to buy you one for your help yesterday, plus if you are busy drinking you can't be talking" he teased as he watched the dwarf take a huge gulp of the strong brew. In the end it only took two more trips to the bar, five of those huge drinks and one long story about the deep roads for Varric to start snoring at the table, dwarves somehow had an amazing capacity for holding their liquor. Anders pushed his mostly untouched drink to the middle of the table, as Hawke did the same with hers as well. "So, which one of those games was your favorite?" he suddenly asked her as they quietly got up and snuck away from the still snoring dwarf. "Personally I think we will have to replay them all again several times before I can find a favorite" he continued with a wolfish grin as they ran out the door and raced each other back up to the house in Hightown.


	7. Chapter 7

"Honestly, I don't know why I ever thought it was a good idea to bring you along" Anders announced just as Varric had finished up his latest round of teasing that had come complete with the batting eyelashes and kissy lip gestures.

"Ah, come on Blondie, you know you love me. I'm just so personable everybody does, it's a given!" the dwarf smoothly replied.

Ander's only response was to roll his eyes and aim a flimsy kick at the dwarf's backside almost knocking him into a huge bear of a man walking in front of them in the process.

"Hey watch it, I want to live to see another day!" the dwarf exclaimed as the man in question looked back at them with a suspicious glare.

Varric with his high sense of self preservation quickly and surreptitiously tried pointing a finger in Ander's general direction while mouthing the words "It was him!" for an added measure of security but only succeeded in causing the man to shoot them both a dirty look before moving off.

"Thanks Varric" Anders said with heavy sarcasm. "I really hope that he doesn't turn out to be the metal smith here."

Anders had awoken early that morning and had quietly snuck out of Hawke's bedroom with a mission to accomplish, stopping only long enough to grab Varric from his rooms at the tavern before proceeding to the market with only one destination in his mind, at least in Anders' mind. In Varric's mind there were two, going to the market with Anders and then heading back to the Hanged Man for a well deserved beer, one he was sure he could talk the mage into buying him for his help today.

They resumed their journey down to the far end of the crowded market, the closer they got the faster Anders started walking in his haste to get there. As he rounded the final corner ahead of Varric, he was relieved to see that the metal smith and the huge man they had managed to aggravate only moments before were not one and the same. It was a dwarf who owned this stall, his eyes instantly lighting up as he took in Anders somewhat nervous air combined with the dippy half smile that played at the mages lips. After many years of making and selling jewelry, the dwarf knew this look. Here was a man that was hopelessly in love and was setting out for his first attempt at buying jewelry for the lady. "I'll make a fortune on this sale!" the dwarf chuckled under his breath, rubbing his hands together with glee until he spotted Varric running over in an effort to catch up to his friend.

"Makers breath, not all of us have legs as long as you do, Blondie!" the dwarf panted at Anders as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Sorry" Anders managed before his attention turned completely to the intricately designed pieces that were displayed before him on a length of black velvet. He knew exactly what he was looking for, but he had brought Varric along to ensure he would get a good deal in the process. Varric cleared his throat with exaggerated importance and strode forward to trot out the very important dwarf skill of bargaining.

"My friend here wants to gift his lady friend with a fine piece of jewelry and I'm here to make sure he gets a good deal" the dwarf announced to the metal smith.

Anders in the meantime had been pouring over the selection, drawn to one item in particular,in much the same way a jackdaw would be attracted to a shiny object. It was a gold ring, small and beautifully made, just the thing a man in love would want to give a woman. He kicked Varric hard on the foot as he jerked his head in the direction of the ring.

"There, that's what I want" he muttered to him in a way that he thought would be completely inconspicuous to the dwarf behind the counter.

It was Varric's turn to roll his eyes. "I'll handle this, just go amuse yourself over there for awhile ok, Blondie?" Varric fingered the pouch of money that had been entrusted to him that morning, as he thought up his strategy for buying the ring at a good discount. He set to work. Several hours later, as bargaining between dwarves was a very long and tedious process, Varric strolled around the corner to where Anders had retreated carrying a small black velvet box containing the ring.

"Here Blondie, I got you a really good deal on it, now let's say we go get a drink or two before you go to give it to her" the dwarf said as he set off in the direction of the Hanged Man hoping that Anders and his coin purse would be following close behind.


	8. Chapter 8

"Five hours!" Anders muttered to himself under his breath.

They had been at the Hanged Man for five long hours now, and Varric was still imbibing in the huge tankards of ale they served. "You say something Blondie?" the rather inebriated voice of the dwarf drifted over to him as he made his way back to the table with the latest round.

"I said I don't know how you can fit all of that drink into such a small body" Anders retorted, his voice tinged with exasperation as he placed the new round of drinks down on the rough wooden table and somewhat reluctantly retook his seat.

"Ahhhh" Varric responded letting out a refined belch in the process. "That's a secret only known to dwarves, no cloud heads allowed in that club. So where were we?" he continued as Anders suddenly interrupted.

"You know, I should really be getting back. I'm sure Hawke is already wondering where I am" he said, half rising out of his chair in anticipation of making a fast getaway.

"What? No,you can't leave. We were just getting to the good part of the story. Chapter twenty eight is where all the action takes place!" Varric exclaimed in a somewhat put out voice.

"I don't know. The first twenty seven chapters were so riveting I thought I was going to die from the excitement of it" Anders shot back adding in a rolling eye expression for good measure just in case the dwarf had missed the subtle sarcasm in the statement. The tavern door suddenly opened and the mage turned towards it, hoping for salvation in one form or another, as he watched Isabella enter and stride over to their table.

"This must be the handsome table," she purred at them as she dropped down into an empty chair.

"So how are the ladies doing?" she inquired as she took out a small dagger from her belt and started to add some flourishes to a rather obscene carving on the table that she obviously had already started on a previous visit.

"Bianca's resting upstairs; she had a full days worth of shooting people yesterday," Varric replied, noticing Isabella's metal edged doodling as he shifted his gaze to the tabletop. "That's your drawing? I was admiring it earlier. Very well done, and very accurate too if I might add" he interjected.

"Um, actually Hawke should be expecting me home around now," Anders added to the conversation.

"Yes, Blondie has been doing a bit of shopping today," Varric began as Anders started to glower at him, mentally willing him to stop talking. "He bought a ring for someone special we know," the dwarf continued completely oblivious to the frantic shut up signals the mage was now sending him.

Anders felt the beginnings of a blush start to creep up his face as Isabella instantly stopped carving on the table to fix him with an amused stare. "Really? That's so cute!" the pirate queen managed to get out before she collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Still fiercely glaring at the dwarf, Anders attempted a payback kick under the table, but didn't aim high enough and only succeeded in barking his own knee against the rough underside and spilling a bit of their drinks in the process. That made Isabella erupt into an even louder bout of laughter as Anders bit back a yelp.

"And here I thought my day was going to be boring," Isabella finally forced out as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm so glad I could help you out with that," Anders replied with mock sincerity as he unobtrusively tried to rub his now smarting knee. "Varric was just going to start in on Chapter twenty-eight of your favorite story," he continued with the beginnings of a mischievous smile starting on his face. "I remember you telling me several times how much you love this particular one," he finished, the smile now fully operational.

Isabella returned it with a seductive smile of her own as she suddenly grabbed the hilt of her recently discarded dagger from the tabletop and casually threw it with perfect aim to sink into the wood back of the mage's chair less than an inch from his right shoulder. "Tell me if that was too much Kitten, I would hate to play too rough with you" she replied as she leaned back in her chair and theatrically threw a kiss in his direction. "Rivaini, you can play rough with me all you want. Bianca won't mind sharing," Varric added from across the table as Anders slid out of his seat and edged towards the door.

"You two have fun then. Varric, don't catch anything I can't cure" he loudly shouted across the bar as he walked out, triumphant in being able to deliver the last gibe as he firmly shut the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

The giddiness of his victory in the latest round of verbal repartee lasted a whole two blocks from the Hanged Man before subsiding into the nervousness he had felt earlier in the day. He absently reached into the pouch at his side to feel for the small box that he had hidden there earlier, the velvet soft underneath his fingers as his hand curled around it protectively. Thankfully it wouldn't grow dark for several more hours and he felt relatively safe from cutpurses while it was still daylight, but he did not waste any time as he walked swiftly towards Hightown not wanting to invite any disaster to befall the ring before he was able to give it to Hawke.

He still had no idea what he was going to say to her or even how he would give her the ring. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but with the eyes of Kirkwall upon them, they could not have a traditional betrothal. There would be far too many repercussions if they made their relationship official. In view of all the other factors though, that problem was probably one of the smaller ones they would eventually face. There was still Justice to contend with. He could sense that Justice liked Hawke in general, but that the spirit strongly disapproved of how frequently thoughts of her occupied Anders' mind. She was a distraction, a deterrent to their cause, Justice had warned him many times. That was one of the few arguments between him and the spirit that Anders would not concede to.

_It would have to be enough for now to be able to give her the ring and the love that goes with it_, he ruminated to himself. He quickened his pace as he climbed up the last series of steps into Hightown. Maker, he hated all those stairs. They were one of the few examples in which he could safely say it had been more convenient when he had been living in Darktown. At least there one didn't have to climb forever in the afternoon sun to reach home.

His steps faltered a bit at that thought.

_Home_, the word still had a strange ring to it,he couldn't remember the last time he felt as if he had really belonged somewhere. The feelings that the sudden thought engendered in him were both welcome and unfamiliar to him at the same time, as he picked up speed again and rounded the final corner, the estate quickly coming into view. _Home_, he tried the thought of it out again as his feet left the street for the path that led to the house. This time the welcoming feeling won out over the strangeness of it.

He let himself in through the ornate front door and stepped into the entryway. Bodahn instantly strode into view, all efficiency.

"Good afternoon Master Anders" the dwarf greeted him.

The amused expression that lit the mage's eyes stated that this was not the first time his arrival had been announced in such a manner.

"Bodahn, I've told you before you don't have to call me Master. It makes me feel like I should be lording over a small arling somewhere!" He said with a laugh.

"As you wish, Ser" the dwarf replied, slightly put out that the formality of the announcement had been taken from him.

"You will find Mistress Hawke down in the basement. She has taken it upon herself to write up an inventory of the wine stored down there, although I tried my best to get her to leave the task to the boy and me, as it is far beneath what the lady of the house should be doing."

Anders laughed again, under his breath this time. He had witnessed Hawke in battle on many occasions as she delivered the blow needed to decapitate enemies, the violent act always making the arterial blood spray in a high arc and rain down on her as a result. By the end of almost every one of those fights her features would be hidden beneath a slick coating of blood, sweat and dirt. He could not imagine her being deterred by some dust and the few small spiders that lived down in the murky depths of the estate's basement.

He descended the stairs into the quiet darkness of the cellar, still trying to figure out how he would present her with the ring. As he lightly stepped off the last stair onto the dirt floor he caught sight of her in the far corner. Her back was towards him as she counted the bottles on the rack in front of her, the small lantern that sat on a barrel by her side illuminating the immediate area. Playfully, he started to sneak up behind her. He knew he would not catch her completely unawares, the warrior in her would hear him long before he reached her.

As he drew nearer, he could tell the moment in which she detected him approaching by the almost imperceptible motion of her head as she slightly turned it to one side. She had evidently decided to play along though, as she gave no other indication of having heard his stealthy movements. He quickened his pace then, surrendering stealth for speed, as he ghosted up behind her molding his body into the back of hers as he wrapped his arms around her. He sighed in contentment as she leaned back into his embrace. "Good afternoon, my love" he whispered near her ear as his lips slightly grazed her neck, his whole world quickly comprised into the small space that now included them both.


End file.
